Well visit and sick visit rectal temps

Like most of you my temperature was always taken rectally during both well and sick visits at the doctor’s office and I wanted to ask the group a question about that. Did you hate it more when your rectal temp was taken during well visits or more during sick visits? Or, did you find them both equally unpleasant? Personally, I hated the well visit rectal temps more. I think they felt worse to me because I always knew that rectal temps were way too invasive for a routine wellness check-up. There was a deeper injustice that came with having to endure a rectal temp when I wasn’t sick. At least when I was sick I knew there was possibly some good reasons for it. I always felt angry when the nurse told mom that my temp was normal because then it felt even more pointless. I remember thinking “of course it’s normal, I’m just here for a check-up!”

I wouldn't mind if my dr wanted a rectal temp during a wellness visit

I never minded rectal temps. My doctor only did rectal till age 13, when his nurse asked, oral or rectal?

Only went to the doctor if I either went for the annual school physical, or when I was really sick with an office visit and my Doctor was backed up, and couldn't do “house calls ”--→> my age here. Before going anywhere and a phone call, got a rectal temp and enema from Mom.

Had to strip in front of my Mom and down a cloth gown ( no disposables then ). The nurse came in and had me lay on my stomach for a rectal temperature.

Worst part / embarassing part was the nurse sticking this up my butt and putting her palm to hold it in / prevent pushing it out, as she chit-chatted with my Mom as I laid there.

I agree that probably well visits were a bit more difficult. At those times, temperature accuracy didn’t seem to be as crucial as when an illness was present. That said, it made no real difference, as being directed to lay on my tummy was always the outcome.

Those sick visit rectal temps were no picnic either and were quite irksome in there own way. I remember times of feeling deathly ill with a flu or stomach virus and being dragged out of bed to the doctor’s office which was the last place on earth I wanted to be. I’d be burning up with a fever or vomiting in a bag and on top of that some nurse puts a thermometer up my butt. Rectal temps under those circumstances always felt like adding insult to injury.

Its a really interesting question. Neither one were pleasant and I hated getting a rectal temp in the Dr's office - at home wasn't much better but it was easier to handle. I guess for me the sick one was worse because 9 times out of 10 I would be (or already had) getting an enema when I got home. If the appointment was in the morning it was guaranteed when you got home you would be told to go upstairs and change but don't put your bottoms on which was a cue that an enema was imminent

I did not make a distinction between a well visit or a sick visit as both meant I would received a RT. The only difference was that for a sick visit I was required to lower my pants or remove them and get a temp taken. For physicals, I had to strip down and by the mid point, I no longer had my briefs on and was examined thoroughly.

As a child, receiving a rectal thermometer wasn’t quite as bad when I was actually sick enough to have an obvious fever.

When I wasn’t actively ill, it seemed especially degrading and humiliating. My anxiety before and during was extremely high, especially if I was well.

The enjoyment I also felt would have to wait until I got home from the clinic to reminisce in private.

Afterwards, my endorphins must have been in high gear. I would bring myself back down by touching my penis, and by putting saliva lubricated objects into my bottom during my forced nap time by my mother, who I happened to hate for the moment.

Yes, having my rectal temperature taken when I was well did indeed seem like a “deeper injustice.”

@arttemp Right. An intimate and embarrassing examination is probably better received if done in response to an actual health issue rather than gratuitously.

When I was a kid I got two DREs for appendicitis diagnosis, but I felt so bad that on the moment I was actually glad that somebody who seemed to know what to do was in charge.

I would have felt very differently I guess for a DRE for no apparent motive.

I see many here also had a rectal temperature taken for both a check-up and if sick. That was the case for me at my doctor's office until I was a teen. Small town in the 70s-80s.

I think for me sick visits were worse in general and the rectal temp was more unwelcome. I usually felt awful and feverish, and the cold table, cold exam room and cold thermometer up my butt were the last things I wanted besides the shot that was coming soon. Having a sticky slimy butt afterwards was a very persistent reminder of having my temp checked, and being sick was like a highlight to it.

For me it didn’t really matter either well or sick the thermometer was going in my hiney as the nurse called it and either way I would be face down pants and undies at my ankles with that glass rod in my bottom 😀

I always got a rectal temp at the doctor whether I was well or sick. The ultimate indignity was being taken along when my cousin Patty was sick and getting my temperature taken too-- just to check if I was getting sick too. Of course that worked both ways for her when I was sick.

Years back at my job where I had to get an annual physical I was quite surprised when a newly assigned nurse to the employees clinic gave me a DRE!

I told her that it was my first time during my annual that I ever had that done. She asked if I was upset. I replied I wasn’t.

Then I asked if she ever took rectal temperatures. She said if needed they were taken. Again to my surprise she asked If I wanted mine taken. I told her I preferred it over oral. ( no ear thermometers then).

She told me if I wanted it taken she would and to lay on my stomach on the exam table. I said it was checked orally before I saw her. Her reply was that the rectal measurement was more accurate.

I got up on the table and laid on my stomach, my arms folded under my head. My briefs were quickly lowered behind my knees and I watched her as she grabbed the thermometer out of the metal holder which had a piece of embossing tape on it that read “RECTAL”. She held it up, read it, shook it down pretty vigorously and I could hear that “ snapping “ sound as she did. Then held it back up , again read it, and then dipped it an open jar of lubricant. Coming over to the table slightly behind me, her thumb and index finger parting my cheeks , she deftly inserted the thermometer and let it stay in my rectum a few minutes. After the thermometer was removed she wiped it off, read it, saying my temperature was normal. Then she went on with the rest of the hands on part of the physical, finishing and sending me off to the lab and X ray and a few other areas. I saw her twice over the next year and both times which were for sick visits she repeated the rectal temperature takings.

My temp is taken rectally, either when I am sick, or for a well visit. No If's, And's, just Butt. Mine.

Growing up, temperature was taken during sick and well visits, and always rectally. No choices were given. It was always turn over on your tummy. The nurses always over loaded the thermometer with Vaseline. A parent always had to be in the room until 18 years old.

Unless the teenager was accepting of a rectal temperature especially coming to 18, they should have and if still done now in the late teen years refuse(d).

Around 7 or 8 weLL visit was oral if u could behave be still keep mouth shut.. sick visit was rectal temperature this was in the 70’s early 80’s the nurse would pick up the red top Thermometer even as a teen it was going in ur butt

I posted earlier that my doctor did rectal to age 13, when his nurse asked a parent, how they wanted it done, mom always just said, anyway he wants it. After about age 14 mom let me go in for my exam alone. I never minded Rectal so just let the nurse do that, they didn't keep oral thermometers in the exam room anyway. So if you wanted oral they had to go out of the room to get one. I had the same doctor from when I was a baby till age 18 and had a Rectal temp at every visit sick or well. Once I joined the Navy at age 18 I was not given anything but oral temps using a 1970's Ivac thermometer with a blue prob, I hated every oral temperature, the plastic prob cover, and the taste of the plastic. Rectal temps are so much nicer and you don't have to keep your mouth closed, it just slides into your rectum and in 3 to 5 minutes you get a good temperature reading.

I was in the AF At the time. I had what turned out to be the flu. My temperature In sick call measured orally , was 103F. They kept having me drink water to cool me down. Repeated oral readings. The thermometer used was a glass mercury type.

I was sure at some point they’d do a rectal temperature on me. They didn’t.

After my assessment I went and sat down awaiting some instructions.

I could see a screened off area, and there was a WAF who I saw go in behind the screened area accompanied by a nurse. A few minutes passed and when I looked up , I remember seeing the WAF’s shoes a little beyond the curtain, pointing downward. I figured she was on her stomach . As I learned later, very likely she was.

The nurse had left, then when I saw her return, she was heading toward the curtained area.She was walking briskly shaking down a thermometer .

She stepped into the curtained area and then I heard the WAF pretty much plead, Can’t you take it orally?”

A few minutes later, this flushed faced WAF, not sure if from embarrassment or her condition, walked out from behind the curtain. She sat next to me, I guess awaiting her meds/ and or instructions

We started talking and she said she’d think twice before coming to sick call. I asked why.

Her reply was funny but I could also appreciate what she lamented. “ The nurse had me remove my skirt , get on the table, face down. Then she pulled my panties down and shoved a thermometer up my butt! I’m a bit too old for that!”

I was surprised she admitted that!

About a year later I ran into her at an overseas assignment . She remembered me. We hung out together for a while, and I couldn’t get the image out of my head of this really attractive 19 year old with her panties down, with a probably 1st or 2nd lieutenant or possibly a Captain, a nurse taking her temperature and the thermometer sticking out of her aas.

At my doctor they did rectal temps at well visits and sick visits until age 10.

My family switched doctors when I was 11 and my new doctor only took temperatures rectally which was a new experience for me. His reasoning was that they are way more accurate.

At first I hated It but at some point that changed during my teens. I did learn that no matter what you went in for you were 100% guaranteed that either he or someone else was going to take your temperature rectally. It’s also why I learned to dress appropriately for any visit, I didn’t want to have to be taking time undressing, something easy to slide down and back up.

Yes my Pedatrician did rectal temps in the late 60s when I was a young boy. by the early 70s , same Dr but no rectal temps!!

Not during wellness visits that I remember, but if I was ever sick enough when my Mom needed to call ”Dr. Grams” or her nurse, they’d always asked Mom to take a rectal temp, even into my teens. I didn’t mind Mom taking my temperature that way. That's what rectal thermometers were for.

My pediatrician had temperatures taken at well visits (checkups) and sick visits. Until the child was 9 or 10, temperatures were always taken in the child's bottom. At checkups the temperature was one of a number of vitals that were measured and recorded. When I would go to checkups with my younger sister one of us got our temperature taken while the other got the other vitals measured and recorded and then we switched places.

I was always perplexed about why my temperature was taken at a well visit, but it wasn't too big a deal. My main concern at all visits was the possibility of a shot. My pediatrician had always given vaccinations in my arm and prescribed oral penicillin. I was aware that most of my friends got both vaccinations and penicillin in the bottom so I was always relieved that I only had to bare my bottom for a temperature taking and not for an injection.

It should make no difference would it be a sick visit or well visit. What counts is that under no circumstance should the patient that is considered to be at risk of having a mishap while having an oral temperature taken with a glass oral thermometer thus leaving the only other option but to take the temperature rectally with a glass rectal thermometer. After all, that is why a rectal temperature would be taken with a glass rectal thermometer.

I only had my rectal temp taken one time when I was little and it was horrible….but now that I’m older I wish I didn’t go nuts crying and just let them put it in my heiny…..I would like a nurse or doctor to spread my butt cheeks and insert the butt thermometer….I’m sure I will be wet thinking about the whole procedure haha

The only difference between a routine checkup and a sick visits was that at the later you were getting your temperature taken for sure. At a routine checkup there was a slight chance of not having to undergo the hated procedure. And no it didn‘t make any difference to me, I always hated having my temp taken.

Whether well visit or sick visit, it doesn't care, at every appointment I got measured. When I had several appointments in a short time interval, it was only my temperature in my bum and my pulse. When I wasn't there for longer, my height and weight were measured as well. The nurse also asked for the reason for my appointment and for any complains.